Blue Ruins
by MadMatter
Summary: After the day of judgment, the world is left split into two worlds. The outsiders and the humans. This story takes the perspective of the outsider Isaac who attempts to survive his barren world. It also takes the perspective of Mia who attempts to make sense of hers. Both intertwined, revealing the hidden world they hide and compassion they would seek.
1. A Vision of Grey

Preface

First I would like to make a quick thanks for clicking on this. This preface exist to just give you a quick heads up of what you are going into. This is a fan fiction developed from Golden Sun. I should first also put this disclaimer here to make sure no copy rights will hunt me down. Here it is:

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GOLDEN SUN. YOU HEAR ME? I DO NOT OWN IT, NEVER WILL.

Now we got that out of our way, ahem. This is going to be a pretty extended piece of work and I'll do my best to keep uploading. But the time it takes to upload, edit, and tweak is pretty long. And my priority puts fan fiction later on the list.

This world I hope to divulge you in is based off of pure fantasy that I hope you enjoy it. It will feel off from normal Golden Sun, but it will eventually reveal its resemblance. This story telling is first person but switches perspectives which can be indicated by the ... insert name here...

Reviews are stellar for me. My writing won't get any better if I don't get constructed criticism.

Well that's it. Here we are. Blue Ruins. I hope you enjoy.

A vision of grey

... Isaac...

Our enemies are smart, clever, and adapt pretty quickly. They are also quite brutal as well. They don't spare a single life. They hunt us down like animals. Can't blame them though, we stalk them like predators. If they are left open, vulnerable, we will kill them. If they had the chance, they would kill us. That is the world we live in.

I'm pretty lucky to be alive. When I stare back at the field that has grown grey and blackened by steel, I wonder how am I alive? Bullets wisped past my ear more times than I could count and I could feel the wind graze my skin as metal flies past me. I could feel the ground shake each time I hear an explosion. Sometimes they were mines, sometimes they were from rockets and missiles, and sometimes I wouldn't even know. I've learned how to run on unstable ground after so long. The field had many holes and craters from explosions and pricked by many bullets. They had much more arms compare to what we had. I had a M1911 that I wasn't even too sure worked and a bolt action rifle with fifteen shots. There could've been less if I could tell where to shoot, but all I did was hide behind cover until it was blown to bits and then skitter to another cover until they blew that one up as well. There were no shots from our side, just ton of shots behind the wall.

It started by seeing a child. It was hard to believe how much bitterness and rage stirred up in seeing a single child. Her cloths were vibrant, her hair was clean, and she seemed to have so much life with her stumbling out of the bushes. The look on her face was so pure and innocent. But something in us just went off. When I saw the men yelling and taking up their guns and began to chase the child, I just followed. After following what the people did around me so much and long, I didn't question it. I had nothing against the child. The child didn't do anything to me. Yet I felt a sick feeling in me and I took up my arms and followed the crowd. It was hard to describe. Seeing her so innocent and happy in this dirty, cruel land made me feel twisted. All I could think, was showing her what pain, what terror is. We heard the screaming of another girl and knew that there were two. Two is better than one. The sound of the steps appeared even closer and the group became excited, yelling out and crying out joyously with the intent of death. I joined in the yelling fray until I realized we were in the open. The scattered thin trees became a dead wasteland with scattered boulders, with shifting platforms, and brown grass. I slowed down after that. I'm not stupid. I saw the wall. I saw the barricades. I saw everything. The border of the wall is a battlefield and carelessly passing through it was stupid.

I ducked behind a large rock when I heard the sound of a whistling bullet piercing into the closest man and collapsing onto the floor. He fell to the floor with no struggle and a bullet in his chest. He bled an incredible amount and I knew it was a lethal blow. Where the others charged to the borders with boiling blood, I stayed behind a rock. What stupid men I thought. I noticed a group of people coming near the gate and shooting at us. We evaded by stepping into cover slightly and running to the next. After the first sniper shot, there was a second, then a third, then a volley of sniper shots. Another man collapsed to the ground, this time with half of his head popped off. I looked at his open skull and shivered, thinking it could have been me. I stayed behind the rock and observed from the cover. There was no one who could call me a coward; they were all too preoccupied in running and dodging. But the dodging became useless after I couldn't see the two kids. _Why are they still going_, I asked there was machine gun fire. Someone must have seen me and I felt a couple of bullets chip off a part of the rock I was behind. A couple of bullets screamed pass me. I hid for a bit longer, but I could hear machine gun fire come down like heavy rain. The rock I was behind was falling apart. I could tell just from the sound of rocks flying. The man was onto me badly and I had to change when I had the chance. The machine gun fire went on and then I felt the ground rumble. It wasn't a large explosion and I didn't hear a whistle or a blazing end that was came before it. Someone stepped on a mine. But I then felt explosions on the field that came as massive howitzers with a very peculiar scream that came before a loud explosion. The rock I hid behind exploded into fragments and I flew back with the air knocked out of me and my ears deaf. My eyes were confused. I could not see without feeling dizzy and blurred. I laid there for a second until I could hear the screaming explosions and the machine guns. After a bit, I quickly got back up and ran to the closest cover. I hid behind there again and I could feel a grudge that was onto me. More explosions came and the small cliff that I hid behind almost buried me alive. I jumped before the dirt and rocks could cover me. I leap and landed on my stomach. When I got back up, a sniper bullet missed me and I could hear it whistle past my ear. I felt scared now. The battlefield had gotten to the worst it could be. Everyone was died and I was the only target with barrages of bullets and explosions. Fearful, I had even more adrenaline pumping in my veins now and I reacted quickly and ran to the next stone. After hiding and peeping at the side, another bullet picked off the side of the rock and I quickly jolted back. But it wasn't long until the rock exploded and I was forced to find another cover. I ran to hide behind the small platform laying there until the multiple explosions in that particular spot told me it wasn't safe. More sniper bullets drove itself into the ground next to me and my heart beat almost popped out of my chest. I could feel the ground ring when the bullet drove into it. I took off even faster and it was cover after cover that kept getting blown up. After six times, a rock I hid behind exploded and I flew back again with dirt covering me. I lost control of my body and though my mind was racing, my body couldn't keep up. I didn't breath, all I did was laid there with a sweaty body and tired heart. They seem to have thought I was dead though I expected death and laid there frozen, waiting for it.

After a bit, when my mind was clear again, I realized that laying still had its benefits. I lay perfectly still for an hour with my gaze to the sky. The sky today was grey. It was a strange grey, a grey with no life to it. It was hard to tell if there was a cloud or not. All it appeared like was a smooth grey as if the sky itself was a perfect color. It was peaceful to look at and I felt like I could stare at it forever. But the grey began to make me feel sad. More particularly, I felt alone. The grey cloud and the silence combined gave me a feeling as if death was near, but not as a threat. It felt like something that watched over my shoulder, watching my every move. The grey sky was quiet and tranquil. But I've learned about death, and the grey tranquility was not at all tranquil. I know the things behind and outside the wall will kill me. The grey sky had no life, no death. I was forced to choose what the land offered me every day: death.

When I felt calm again, I quickly got up and smoothly leaped to the remains of the rock from before. Though it was barely any cover, it was enough to hide my body if I stayed prone. I laid there afraid to move. I laid there covering my face as if I was trying to melt into the ground. I laid there feeling my own heartbeat. It was soothing. It was a rhythm that created itself. I felt each pulse quiver my eye and body. When it began to slow down I felt a bit calmer. It was as if I forgot I was on the borderline. I laid there as if I could sleep there. But I couldn't. The smell of the ground had a burning scent to it that disturbed me. I could feel the rough ground and it couldn't let me be comfortable nor at peace. I opened my eyes again and saw the grey field blackened by steel again. There was no escape. Then I felt a bit of anger in me, sort of a rage. It was hard to explain, but it was there and it felt as real as could be. It made me hate the people behind the border. They call themselves people and look over us like the dirt on the ground. They could kill us in such a simple heartbeat and because of that, so can we. We hated them as much as they hated us. No, because of that, we must be able to do the same. I think that's why we could chase those kids with such killer intent. Our children had always been force to live with as much fear as we did. The fear that we could go hungry, that the wilderness could kill us, and that their expansion would kill us was all we thought about. It is what made me bitter. If they could point their guns at us so easily, how can we hesitate? Was it jealously? No. It was much deeper than that. It was that they could take away what I hold dear too so easily that there wasn't much too even live for, until we were left to the mercy of our basic drive: survive. And a part of surviving is killing what makes you sick.

I carelessly stood back up. Before a walked away, I looked at the border. The giant cement wall with barbed wires and cannons was no longer a frightening figure for some reason. As I peered at the wall, I also saw a person. It was a girl with pale hair wearing a casual blue dress. Those very sights are what makes us sick and gives us the will to take it away so easily. I walked away then, not caring. I just wanted to go home, though I had no home. I just wanted to escape, though there was no end to this abyss.

The walk home was in a path of dead trees that was fragile enough to snap with a simple touch. The ground was dead with brown dirt and grey stones. The breeze was cold to my burning skin. All I could see was endless thin trees with a grey blur to fill in the empty gaps of the trees. It was easy to get lost, no matter how much you think you know the path. I always got a feeling of being lost. All the trees look alike. I kept walking and wandering until I could see something familiar which seemed impossible. I felt like I was walking in the same place, nothing changing, no escape from this terrible place. I was tired. I still couldn't catch my breath from the explosion. My feet were weary from walking and running. I was thirsty and especially hungry. When I could feel the feeling of hunger again, I question how I was able to walk. I finally caught a view of a fire and figured that was camp. The people there were weary of me at first, but when seeing what sort of mess I was in, they paid no attention to me. If you look like a mess, you were an outsider. The people there didn't say a word to me. A man just held his gun tighter and a woman who appeared to be close to him, went into the tent to hide from the cold. As for me, I took a good look at myself. I looked at my hands which were wearing a dirty glove with the fingertips unprotected. I looked at my pants which were ripped. I took a look at my shirt which was covered in dirt. I saw a pot of water and took it. I was going to drink it until I saw my reflection in it. My face was covered in dirt. There was some blood on my cheek from a scratch or something. My hair grew long and my beard was starting to bother me again. I couldn't tell what color my skin was supposed to be. All I felt and saw was a pale face with no color to it that was hidden beneath the dirt. I rubbed a bit of dirt off my face, but nothing changed. I still looked like a sick man. I drank the water and lay on the floor exhausted. I closed my eyes but all I could still hear and feel was the hard ground and the cold air. The cold no longer felt weird for me though. If it did, I'd be a dead man.

... Mia...

My sister is a bit careless. She was always trying to match me in racing though her legs were much shorter than mine and I'm naturally a good runner. One day I was tending the lawn when she wanted to race me. I take care of my lawn because it bothered me when it was badly kept. Having a good lawn adds to the beauty to the house making it more livable. I was about finished planting so I told her, "Okay. I'll let you get a head start first." So Kayla joyfully ran off. After i finished planting, I didn't see her anywhere. But I caught a glimpse of her run to the sewage tunnel. I called out, "Its filthy in there! Come back!" But she didn't listen. So I start to follow her at a strong pace. I could barely squeeze into the gate the tunnel was covered in and all I could hear was Kayla's running in the muck making splashing noises. I ran after her beginning to lose my breath. The tunnel was unbelievably long. I kept calling out to her but all I heard was giggles and small footsteps. When we were outside, I saw that we were not in the town anymore. All I saw was a wall that was its borders. I knew where we were. "Kayla! Come back here right now!" I yelled out. My voice rang in the vast emptiness. She couldn't hear me. She must not have noticed the dead trees and land. I ran faster trying to follow her footsteps that I could have mistaken as the cold wind. I did not remember her able to run so fast. I kept running and running into the dead woods and began to panic. The woods hid the evil behind the wall.

After a bit, I couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. I stopped running then tried to listen more carefully. I called out her name again and then she came running to me with a group of outsiders behind her. They were armed with guns and seemed unnaturally excited. I quickly picked her up and ran to the border. I hoped that if I ran to the border, the soldiers would stop the outsiders. I ran faster than I ever ran in my life. My feet burned from the force I put on the ground and my lungs felt the cold air burning my lungs. The outsiders behind me were yelping and crying out joyfully. I glanced behind me and saw them running towards us like animals and I knew why they weren't shooting. I couldn't bear the thought if they captured us alive. They looked like humans, but acted like animals.

I kept running with Kayla in my arms until the small trees disappeared and we were in the open with the wall in sight. But the outsiders were even closer to us and I began to falter. My feet began to hurt and I was running short on breath. Suddenly I heard a gunshot and glanced back and saw an outsider on the ground bleeding. My heartbeat felt like it stopped for a moment. I thought I was shot. The outsiders still ran towards us and a couple of soldiers came to help us. One soldier came and guided us to a safe spot while the other three fired at the incoming outsiders. The soldier took us to the gate and I held Kayla as she was crying. We were safe, but scared. I held Kayla closer to me and felt my cold sweat running down the side of my head. I glanced back and saw the outsiders being gunned down and rockets exploding on the ground. I was angry at Kayla for being so reckless. But I kept her in my arms the whole time we were at the gate. I was more relieved than angry. But each time the ground trembled below me and the loud cracks of rifles bursted through the air, I felt more scares than relieved.

After the explosion ceased and gunshot stopped, we were taken to a barracks and interrogated. At first look we didn't look like outsiders. But they were still cautious. They took our blood test to check if we were outsiders. Kayla cried a bit more when the needle went into her skin and pulled on my arm for comfort. Kayla's hair was wet from sweat and so was mine. We were a mess and looked filthy like outsiders. The only thing that was distinguished us was our eyes. Outsider's eyes glowed a faint color like a cat. It was unique for outsiders and was the only physical appearance to tell us apart from outsiders. We sat in a very secluded area with a single chair and table in front of us. We couldn't tell where we were because of the bland color the room was. It was a calm grey. It added to the quiet of the room. It felt static. It felt like I was sitting in space. It just felt empty. I looked around and the calm grey walls seemed to have made a noise. Nothing in the room was moving. Kayla was asleep by now. But it wasn't breathing I heard. It was this faint ringing sound. I couldn't tell what it was. Maybe it was the single light bulb at the ceiling making that sound. If empty had a sound, it would be this. A very quiet and subtle sound that can only be heard when you are in complete silence. It didn't feel uncomfortable nor soothing. But it was noticeable. As we were left in the room alone for a long period of time, the sound began to feel unbearable. I began to sweat again though I should be safe. The quietness was starting to feel fearful. The calm grey was now an unsettling color reminding me of... isolation. I know what was at the night, what threatened us everyday. This empty feeling and then this reality made me feel afraid.

A large man walked in with a notebook. He didn't introduce himself. He seemed rude and just laid his book on the table. The large man began to ask us questions and the first one was, "How did you leave the border?" I explained that it was just a mistake that that we didn't know that the sewage tunnels would lead out of the borders. "The sewage tunnels are suppose to be well secure. Was there an opening?"

"Yes. The tunnel is near my house."

"Where is it?"

"Near Monterrey road."

"Okay. That's all we need to know." The large man opened the door and led us out. "Go downstairs and you'll be on the border walls. A soldier will lead you out then." We left the room and he closed the door behind us and went into another room. We walked on the border wall and I couldn't help but look over the barb wires. I knew this chance wouldn't come too often where I can take a look at the outside and feel safe at the same time. Looking over it I saw the battered field with holes on the ground from explosion I guessed. The woods seemed grey to the core and there was not a single color besides grey. The nature looked like it disappeared and the land seemed like it was dying. I looked back at our town and felt a bit better looking at it. There were quaint little house scattered about and living trees to make it a bit more beautiful. I glanced back at the grey terrain and felt sick again. The outsiders who inherited the terrible place were vicious. I never thought I would see one or have my life hang on the edge so close before. Now since I have, I knew for sure what lived beyond this wall. A terrible evil was behind these walls and I was thankful for the soldiers. I didn't feel so oblivious anymore. I stared at the wall and saw a man stand up. From the rubble, he stood up dirty looking like trash. I had a feeling he looked at me and I knew what he was probably thinking. He made me sick and I quickly walked downstairs and headed home.

I carried Kayla home. She was tired and I was as well. Walking into town at midnight, I felt a little better. The town was beautiful. The houses were small with a balance of housings and greens. It held a regal color of house wood, grass, and a well paved sidewalk. The sun was gone now but the well lit streets gave me a sense of security. After today, the town seemed and felt a little bit more beautiful.

Home was a peaceful place. I lived with my grandma and baby sister. My parents disappeared a little while ago and left me with Kayla. I found a steady job as a pharmacist and with my grandma's benefits, we live at a very steady pace and livelihood. Our house reflected who we were. It was a small and cute little house in my mind. It was all we needed. I had television, warm water, and food. That's all I need and it was good enough for me. Sometimes it gets lonely when my grandma is socializing with her friends and Kayla is asleep or at school. I can't help but to feel bored when there's nothing to do. But besides that, I cant find anything else to complain.

I tucked in Kayla in her bed and went to my room. I went to shower first. I felt incredibly dirty. I ran through the sewage, found myself behind the wall, and drenched in my own sweat. The hot water felt good on my skin. Outside was cold and the hot water was very relieving. I think I stood in the shower for a good hour. When I came out, I put on my nightgown and laid on my bed. I laid on top of the blankets at first. I stared at the ceiling and took a very deep breath. But I didn't go to sleep right away though I was extremely tired. I stood back up and looked outside the window. The town could have been endlessly beautiful if it weren't for the stale, large wall at the distance.


	2. Reverence within the Ashes

Reverence within the ashes

... Kyle...

_Today is a very special day. Today we have let out a virus to the public around the world. It's an airborne virus and none can escape it. But some can be immune to it. So so__me of you may or may not be so lucky. So you are all probably wondering what this virus is. Oh well, its nothing too harmful to the victim. But... It is quite fatal to the person next to the victim. This virus is what I enjoy to call "Gladiator blood". To you geniuses out there, you probably might have assumed that this is a virus that turns a sane person into a violent raging killing machine. Yes, this going to be quite fun to watch. I have already infected some people prior to this event so you can get a feel of what __it's gonna be like in about a week from right now. _

_Careful... Enough fear will drive you mad. Like I said. It takes one week for the virus to mature and change the host. They kill like madmen don't they? The only cure is with metal and the will to use it. So. Here we are. I can just tell you how it's developed. You'll see it clearly in the blood of the host__, okay? Once the virus has fully matured, the host's eyes will change into something... sinister. Oh yes and I forgot to mention, this thing is quite fatal to the ground, you know, nature, and __are extremely weird to animals. So just keep your eyes peeled if you want to survive. So I leave you with these words: I challenge you to redefine the world in your terms. If you can move the mountains, you can control the mountains. I challenge you to redefine justice. I challenge you to redefine human nature. I challenge you to redefine gods and mortals. I challenge you to redefine right and wrong. I challenge you to redefine good and bad. I challenge you to change the world. Don't think of this as an obstacle. Think of it as a chance to turn the world more malleable. I am giving you the ability to shift what reality is. So let's see this new reality you want to create. I'm looking forward to it. _

I went home as fast as I could. I knew it was going to be chaos. After that announcement in the radios and the televisions, I knew I couldn't take that chance. It felt quiet as I drove home. No one seemed to be moving. The neighborhood was still and the traffic felt calm and regular. But slowly things began to unravel. I heard sirens far from the distance. Cars went pass me fast. I quickly parked outside my garage and ran inside. Dora and Isaac both looked quite oblivious. Isaac sat on the carpet swaying a toy train back and forth while Dora sat on the couch watching over him and reading a magazine. They looked peaceful and surprised to see me. I quickly told Dora to go to our room, gather everything she could and prepare to leave. Dora looked afraid at me but she must have felt compelled to do so because she didn't ask why. I went to grab a couple of plastic bag and began to pack in whatever there was in the kitchen. I glanced at Isaac who sat on the carpet and played with his train. Looking at him, I felt a surge of fear rush through the back of my spine. I heard something in the back yard. I looked outside of the window and saw the fence broken down. Suddenly the glass door broke down. A man stumbled from the shards of glass and began to stand up. I went to the shelf and picked up a large knife. The man stood up and looked over to his left where Isaac was. He began to walk towards him and I knew what he was about to do. I quickly jolted to the man when I saw him pick up Isaac. I drove the knife into his back and the man dropped Isaac to the ground. The man collapsed to the ground and I quickly swiped up Isaac from the ground. He was crying from the painful fall. I backed away from the bleeding man and saw his eerie eyes that glowed a cold gray.

... Mia...

After the day outside of the borders, I went to buy a gun. I had an unsafe feeling realizing that a hole through the border was so close to my house. So I bought a revolver. It was a small one, but weighted more than the average pistol said the gunman. It was hard to control and had only six shots, but he described, "Man, if you hit em once with this thang, you won't need six shots." The bullets were unnaturally long._ Very fatal_ I thought. I bought it along with a box of eighteen extra bullets and an extra carriage. I put the gun and some bullets in my drawer. My house felt safer now, but I still felt vulnerable. I couldn't carry the gun outside of my home, so I bought a spade rod. It was something a friend recommended me to get. I never thought I needed it until now. It was like a knife, but not as sharp. Like its name, it was shaped like a spade. It had a pointed tip that could pierce flesh if driven with enough force, but what really made it efficient was the size. It was the size of my middle finger. It didn't stick out and was easily concealed in my pocket. But it was still fatal. It made me feel safer. I didn't look at the sewage tunnel and shiver anymore. I felt better with the spade on me.

I went grocery shopping alone and the town was a bit more lively than usual. Kayla and grandma had barely any stamina and would be excess weight for me. I walked on foot to the store. There was a lane for vehicles but gasoline is so ridiculously high and so are vehicles. I never had been able to afford one. The only thing I had to the distance was a bike like what most people had. Vehicles were used for the military usually. It was quite fascinating looking at them drive by sometimes. I could feel the wind push on me when they pass me really close. It felt kind of felt cool.

The public square had a lot of life to it. It was a giant circular place that had a lot of stores surrounding it. They were very diverse stores that sold a lot of different things. I worked in the pharmaceutical store and sold medicine. I had the weekend and Wednesday off. I was usually keeping myself busy with chores and errands. It was a nice distraction and the town square was perfect for it. There were grocery stores, restaurant, and many other stores that sold different things. In the middle of the town square was a large fountain that added to the town's beauty. The fountain was a statue. It was a dignified person who stood straight, staring at the sky. I didn't know who he was. I never wondered who he was. I didn't really even care. The town square was very composed with many different things that made up a great scenery. There were streetlamps that were scattered with precise distance between them which lit up at night making it feel and look grand at midnight. There were trees that stood above benches for relaxing and to get out of the sun. The ground was a very interesting pattern of stones of different shapes lodged in the ground. When I look at it, I try to come up or imagine a pattern, but end up letting down when a single stone ruins my theory. It was a beautiful place.

It was usual with people with bags walking around. It was busy in the afternoon. But today was a bit different. There was a large group of people at the middle near the fountain. I went over there to see what the gathering was all about. The spot felt familiar and I knew what it was. There was one spot in the town square that stood out. It was the execution center. It felt out of place. Yet it blended well into the town. At least sometimes it felt out of place. I went over there to watch who was getting executed and saw a young boy who was half the age I was. He looked young, but filthy, almost like an outsider without the eyes. He looked sad and fearful of what was about to happen. He had a noose around his neck and shivered. The man behind him was talking out loud, but sounded rash and tough. I couldn't understand him. His voice was raspy and sounded like he smoked tobacco. The boy looked like he was crying and the crowd I was in stood in silence, watching with full attention. His eyes were red and his head slouched down onto the noose as if he wanted to just jump and end this. When the man stopped talking, he grabbed the child by the back of his shirt, lifted him an inch off the ground and threw him off the ledge. The child dangled on the noose, twitching. He rocked back and forth a little bit. When the rope was still, he stopped twitching and was surely dead. The crowd slowly dispersed then and I walked up to the boy and saw there was a sign tied around his neck. It read, "I stole".

The body would stay up there for the rest of the day and the people would casually walk past it and see what was on the sign. As I began to return to my regular errands I saw Kayla and grandma. They were staring at the boy and I walked over to them. "Kayla, grandma, what are you doing here?"

"We were going to Danny's house. We were crossing the town square when we saw this." Grandma responded.

"Mia, why'd they kill that boy?" Kayla asked.

"... Because he stole." I answered.

"Is that what happens when you steal?"

"Yes." It felt funny when I said that. When I saw Kayla nod and continue walking with grandma, it felt even weirder. I couldn't quite describe it. It was the same feeling I felt when I thought the execution center was out of place. When I looked at the boy, I couldn't help but try to look away. When Kayla and grandma walked past him, she couldn't take her eyes off him. It felt like worrying, but I didn't know why I was worrying. Kayla seemed perfectly content with what had happened and I know she would never steal after seeing this. But I began to wonder if something wasn't right here. I felt like the execution center had no place when I looked at the beautiful statue and fountain that was to the left of it. But the people who relaxed at the fountain and passed the body did not show any sign of emotion. They just looked at it and kept walking. The people at the fountain looked at the body and then looked at the beautiful sky. There was no sadness except from the child that stole. There was no shaking or flinching when he was thrown off his foot. There was just silence and the audience fully embraced what happened. When looking at the execution center, it seemed to have blended in quite easily with the people looking so relaxed with it around. It assured me that it belonged there. But it just felt weird.

After dinner and tucking Kayla into bed, I stayed up with grandma and watch television on the couch. I had my head lying on its side and was ready to fall asleep on the couch. The news was boring. It was until it reached the news about security. "Today a boy was executed today. His crime was stealing. Another hole has been found within the borders. It was a sewage system that was located at Monterrey Avenue. It is being reconstructed to become more secure and will take at least two days so expect heavy military placements at that area. I want to remind you that the leaks in the borders are dangerous to unimaginable levels. So please, if you see a hole in the borders, please report it. It does not matter how big or if it is really there or not. Safety comes before risk." I peered out of the window and saw vehicles gathering around the front of my house. There were fairly large men and armed with rifles wearing fully black uniforms. I turned back around and laid my head on the side of the couch trying to fall asleep. The news was boring again. There was nothing to say and I only listened to the security reports and weatherman. There was no news, no major events, nothing. It was plain and ordinary: boring. Before I went to sleep, grandma awoke me asking, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well I work at six till three. After that… nothing."

"Oh good, can you go on a date I'm setting up?"

"I can, but I won't." Grandma always pester me about finding a husband. It was bothersome and absolutely ridiculous to me. Grandma was old fashion and hated the idea of being a single by choice. She would always push it to me and I would respond by pushing it away. She always had the most handsome, but stupid men in mind. Where they were not stupid, they were usually rude and some sort of ass. I always wonder why grandma was so shallow, but conclude she was just old fashion. I tried to ignore her afterwards, but grandma was incredibly persistent. "Please? I already promise my friend that you would come."

"Why are you making promises that are like that? Grandma, those guys are always so vulgar or have a peanut for a brain. I'm quite convinced that all men are scum by now."

"Those were very compatible guys. You're just picky. But I promise you that this guy is absolutely perfect to your taste."

"How do you know my taste?"

"From all those guys you consider trash."

I wanted to just drop the topic, but grandma had a talent of being reasonable. She was easy to communicate with though her peers could not tolerate her. That's why she lives with me and not in the nursery. Usually, the seniors would be put in the nursery at the age of eighty, but she didn't fit in the nursery well and it was decided she would live with her granddaughter. "Fine. But he better be as good as what I have in mind."

"I promise you he will not disappoint you."

After work I went to the café where I was supposed to meet this man. In the town square, there was a coffee house where he waited for me. He was a brunette that had very clean and gelled hair to the side giving him a gentlemen look. He wore a suit with a red tie. He had glasses on that gave him an elegant look. Behind his glasses were deep blue eyes that was hard to look into. I browsed over to the table and asked, "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be Virgil would you?"

"I am, and you must be Mia."

"Yes that's me. My grandma just told me to look for a lonely gentleman, so here I am."

"I'm flattered."

I sat down feeling a bit off. "Sorry for looking like such a wreak. I didn't think we would be dressing up for an occasion like this."

"Not at all. I am a government official so it's only natural that I look like this all the time."

That was a start. We talked about our jobs. Being a pharmacist wasn't as interesting as a government official. All I did was sell medicine. It took a certain degree of knowledge, but it was simple and made money. I did not connect with my consumers. All I did was sell medicine. Virgil was very open about being a government official. He was a jury of the town's judicial office.

"I'm curious, what do juries do?"

"Well that's a hard question. We mostly just sentence criminals to the execution center. It isn't a very complicating process. It starts with a criminal and ends with a death. Actually that's all there is too it."

"That doesn't sound too hard." I said. He was a bit silent after that. He looked into his coffee and I wondered if I said something wrong. He nodded and said, "Yeah. It's… not. Not really. Hey Mia, do you ever wonder if we make a misjudgment?" It was a strange question and caught me off guard. I didn't know what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… You saw that child who was executed yesterday right? Did it bother you? Did it feel wrong in a way? I mean… did it feel like we were a bit… harsh?"

"… That's what happens. There's no tolerance to things like that. That's what we were told in school and taught when we were little. There's no tolerance for crimes. Why do you ask?"

"I-I'm sorry. I really mean it when I say it's hard sometimes. Things just don't feel right sometimes."

I looked at Virgil with a bit of symphony. He looked like a timid man with his glasses tilted and his head nodding down. He wasn't an ass and didn't appear stupid. That was good enough for me. "Enjoying your coffee?"

"Trying to change the subject?"

"Yep."

"Heh. Not too shabby."

The conversation was a bit smoother after that. He seemed much more comfortable talking and fluid as well. There wasn't much to talk about, but he somehow made it happen. He could talk forever on a topic and really go in depth of it. He was a man with reason and I could tell he was into philosophy. I could connect to what he said sometimes and the connection we made was really solid. For moments it felt like we knew each other like old friends. He didn't feel like a stranger anymore. He wasn't trash. He was intelligent. He was caring. He was honestly the most pleasant man I have ever met. We went on about talking to our grandmas and how we were set up by force. We could relate about that and that's when I realized that we weren't to incredibly different. It was funny to see how much we had in common and thought alike. He sometimes talked about cases he had and asked for my opinion. He really respected my thoughts which were lovely and he fit the gentlemen like stature he had when I saw him. Next we talked about the town.

"What do you think about this town Mia?"

"That's hard to say. I only had been here all my life."

"Well what does it compare to your imagination?"

"Imagination? That's… I've never been asked that. Well a perfect world is just a simple world where everyone could be happy. There will be no one starving, no one living in fear, and just everyone caring for one another. That's the kind of place I always imagine. And this town lives up to my expectation so I guess this town is alright."

"… Mia… You're very good women."

I smiled when he said that. He was a very kind man and a gentleman. But the smile he made felt like a sad smile. His mouth arched like a smile but his eyes remained sad. But I really did considered seeing him again.

It was five when we were supposed to leave. We walked to his house because he hooked me on with a fairly interesting topic. We were talking about the future. What he had in mind for it. He sounded like a visionary. He appeared so wise, so enlightened, I truly was enchanted by his incredible mind. The future he envisioned was a future for justice, a place where people would not regard each other's lives as insignificant, not even justice. He wanted a place where people would want to care for another and rather see as crimes as evil deeds, but as a cry for help. He wanted a world that would help those people.

When we reached to his house, he asked me, "Would you like to come in?"

"No thank you. I have to get home pretty soon."

"Okay, take care."

I began to walk home. The deep thinking I was left in left me unguarded. Someone sneaked up behind me and grabbed me by the neck and a hand covered my mouth. It was a strong person and he picked me up from the ground. I clenched the hand on my mouth and tried to pry it off, but the force was overwhelming. I tried to struggle and kicked my legs, but it was useless. I was guided into a house and the door closed behind me. I kicked and tried to find something to grab onto, but all I did was knock down a lamp and kick down furniture. I was put on a couch the hold loosened. I found my chance and broke away from the grip and turned around to try to escape, but I was held back down and a hand was over my mouth again. It was Virgil. He had a bit of fury in his eyes and the gentleman like person I had coffee with in my mind disappeared. I tried to scream, but his hand pushed on my mouth and I only made a muffle sound. His hand on my mouth held down my body to the couch and I tried to push him away, but his strength was empowering. His other hand was on my chest and he tried to rip off the top of my dress. I screamed. I struggled. I fought back. But it was all useless. I punched and tried to wound his face to push him away, but he put his elbow to my face to hold me down and used his other hand to hold back my right hand. As I used my knee to try to hold him back, I saw the spade I had in the lace of my boot. I used my free left hand to reach into it and pulled it out. I gripped it between my pointer and middle finger. I glanced and saw an opening at his neck. I arched it into the side of his neck. The spade was sharper than I thought. Or it could've been the strength I used it with. But the entire piece of metal wedged into his neck. The force he had on me slowly began to cease. Bits of blood ran down my arm and made the couch red. His clunch on my mouth began to weaken and I pulled out the spade from his neck. I must have struck an artery because a stream of blood began to pour out and he grew pale. I pushed him off me and he rolled onto the ground. With a weak attempt he covered his wound. Then with his last breath, he cried out, "You... Sicken... Me!" Virgil's hand rested lifelessly on his neck as he made a small pool of blood near his head.

A bit of my dress was torn and part of my bra revealed. I covered it with my hand trying to put back on a bit of the cloth. I sat on the couch I was pinned on and stared at the small puddle of blood on the rug. It sunk in and looked more like a stain when the police came. They questioned me and I answered with my eyes fixed on the blood stained rug. Before they put me in handcuffs, a large man walked in. He was the same man who interrogated me at the border. The large man whispered to the policeman in his ear and they both left. The body was taken to the ambulance and I stayed on the couch, waiting to leave. But when I saw that the scene was isolated, I figured I was free to go. But i stayed for a bit longer staring at the stained carpet.

Virgil seemed like such a nice man. He seemed so good to his heart and was intelligent and aware of whom he is. What he did to me… it couldn't be him. But it was his face; it was his eyes hinted in rage, it was his voice when he cried out his final words. I felt so stupid. He probably deceived me with all that fancy talk. His words probably had another idea behind them. He tricked me to lure me over here. I didn't know, but he was trouble the second I sat down on the bench and had coffee with him. It was subtle, somewhat noticeable, but something I unconsciously ignored. I tried to fix my dress, but the tear was something I wouldn't be able to fix easily. I stared at the rug one last time and stood there for a minute. I found myself glaring at it after a bit. He was all lies. That's all he was, a lie. I was stupid to think that he was a perfect man. There was a completely different shade to him that I missed so easily. When I looked back to it, he appeared troubled from the way he talked. I stood by his side because I was enchanted by him. But I could not see who he truly was. If I did, things wouldn't have to turn out like this. I wouldn't be a victim. I left the door open as I left and walked home hastily. I covered the torn part of my dress and my hair covered my eyes and took off in different direction to my original ponytail. He disgusted me.

The next day as I headed to work at the town square, I saw another crowd at the execution center. Two executions in a row were not uncommon, but they didn't occur too much either. I walked into the crowd to see who it was and my breath stopped when I saw who was hanging from the noose. Virgil who was still wearing his suit hung from the rope. I walked even closer and saw drips of blood come out of the neck wound. It made dry splatters where he hung on the floor. His white shirt I could see was completely red now. I looked at his face and it was pale with red eyes. His lips were purple and I kept seeing blood drip from his nose and mouth. I looked at his sign around his neck and it read, "I attempted rape". It was weird seeing him dead. I couldn't help but to look away after that. Looking at him up there made me feel more sickened then usual. I walked out of the crowd and had my hand on the spot where my dress was ripped. I wasn't wearing it, but I could still feel the sensation of Virgil ripping a part of my dress. I hated the man for deceiving me. But when I thought about what he said, it made me wonder if he really deserved what happened to him. Being stabbed and bleeding to death, only to be hung up in displayed in shame after living your life in dignity must be degrading. All I could keep thinking was, _those people who commit crimes, those are the ones who need help the most… I want to live in a world where no one will disregard someone's life as trash… I want a future where no one would live in fear… _Those words… I wondered if it was a lie to enchant me. What if it was his way of crying out for help? What if I disregarded him as trash because of what he did? What if he was the one living in fear this whole time? I hate him. I really do and always will now. But what if he was really in the end was a troubled man in a troubled world? I walked away from the crowd and headed to work. I couldn't bear to look at the crowd that was despising Virgil, a gentlemen like man who was kind to the heart, and smart in the head. I began to get the feeling that the spade wouldn't be able to protect me anymore.

... Isaac…

I awoke on the cold ground. I looked around me and couldn't find the two people who were camping where I slept. It left me a bit confused. But when I saw the fire that was still there, I knew that it wasn't a mirage. I stood up and looked around. I couldn't tell where I was. The trees all looked alike. The ground was a cracked grey with brown weeds scattered around. The trees had no color to them and the breezy wind could have toppled them down. I looked around breathing heavily. I was hungry when I went to sleep and hungry when I awoke. I felt weak and could barely stand without having the feeling of fainting. I sat back down and warmed myself by the fire. The embers crackled at the black sticks and it looked like it was going to give out any moment. I put my hand close to the fire when I felt the ground shake. I looked around me and concluded that it was the cold breeze going down my spine. I was cold and the fire felt good. I rarely felt the essence of fire and only did when I was with someone who knew how to make it. I wasn't going to leave until the fire did. I put my face close to the fire to warm my face. The smoke burned my nose, but the warmth it gave my cheeks made it worth it. I rubbed my hands to my warm cheeks to warm up my hand too. I took a deep breath and slapped myself when my breath took away the fire. I signed and got back up ready to leave. Then I felt the ground rumble again. I looked around me and saw nothing. But then I felt the ground shake again. I even heard the trees tremble. I looked around myself again and saw a shadow within the trees. It was large. It was black and I could not see the sterile pattern of trees anymore. I looked at it closer. If it was a hunt, it couldn't come at a better time. But when the sun rose at the horizon and the forest was no longer with grey shadows I saw a horrifying creature. Its head was half the size of my body and I knew it could eat me in a single bite. It had no eyes; it only had hollow black holes where an eye should be. It had a no nose, but instead it had two identical holes where one should be. And it's most distinguishing feature was its mouth. Its mouth made me realize that it was striking similar to a human with its teeth and shape that was like mine. When it opened up, I saw its dark red inside mouth. But when the sun shone on the creature, I saw its body. It had bulging shoulders and crawled on all fours. It had human like hands that were yellow at the finger tips. Its back was curved in an odd shape. It was massive. I remember it was called an "Old Bone". When the sunlight touched its skin, it raised its head up and opened its mouth to the sun as if it was eating it. It then began to sniff and I heard a deep inhale from its nose. It then turned in my direction and I knew what it was looking at.

I ran at top speed, but the creature took massive steps that made escape impossible. I would've shot at it, but I knew that my bullet would not kill it. I kept running, stomping my feet on the floor that made a dusty sound. I felt the ground tremble with each step the creature took and knew it was getting closer and closer. There was no hope for me and all I could do was run in fear. I kept looking back with twitching eyes and just ran for my life I clung to so desperately. Then I saw a miracle. I saw an elk. It would be a magnificent hunt, but I knew that there was no time for hunting. But it gave me a great plan. I took out my rifle and aimed at the elk. I shot a bullet that went through its thigh and it collapsed to the ground. The elk yelped in pain as it struggled on the ground. I then ran to the elk and hoped over it. I kept running and the floor kept rumbling, but then it suddenly stopped. I turned back and saw the creature devouring the elk. It grasped it by the leg and head and bit into the stomach of the elk making a crunching noise. It was my chance and I knew that the second when the creature finished eating it would come after me. I ran even faster when I saw my chance. All I heard was the crunching of the bones, the creature joyfully moaning, and the dusty ground responding to my steps.

After getting away, I leaned on a tree to catch my breath. I ran far and made sure that the creature lost my scent. I looked around my surroundings for any other thing that looked particularly strange. It was easy to see something odd in a stale pattern of trees. With the sun out now, the trees were a brittle white and the ground was an extremely pale brown. There were no leaves; there were only dead weeds that grew at the wrong time. The sky was a brilliant blue though. There were no clouds and it was a clear sky. I looked at the top and saw the branches of the few trees that managed to tower over the smaller ones. But the sky was not empty. At the top of the sky, behind the clouds were flying monsters. I've seen them before. They are call star catchers because they are usually most dangerous at night. Their wings were grand and large. Up close they had necks that arched downward and a large mouth with fangs that were counted to the millions like cactus pricks. At midnight where their black wings were concealed in the night, they become perfect hunters. Their eyes glow a devilish green and they were a terrifying sight to see. They sweep down in clear areas and with their neck and mouth; they pick up prey in a single bite. I had to be careful when going in open areas. Just because they usually hunt at night, doesn't mean that they were willing to attack when the chance came. I traversed carefully with my senses heightened. Besides the star catchers, there was nothing else.

I picked a direction and walked on it. The sun always rises from the west and sets at the east. I followed the direction of the sun. The trees all looked alike and it was hard to tell if I was making progress. But I did not feel tired or less alert. I knew if I did, I would die. I had purple scars on my back that was from a star catcher. I assumed that they hunted at night after a while and didn't mind them in the daylight. Because I was careless, one almost ate me. It missed its mouth but instead tried to pick me up with its claw. I was low on the ground and it almost picked me up but instead tore off flesh off my back and I felt its powerful claw touch my spine. That wound alone almost killed me if I didn't clean it with the stream that was near me. I had cold water clean the wound when I laid on it. Using a spare shirt I had, I wrapped it around my wound and tied it. That's one thing I noticed about humans and outsiders. We're much more durable and harder to kill. That's what the old man told me whom I used to travel with. But since then, I always felt a tingle in my arms when I use them too much.

At the depth of the forest, I caught a glimpse of something that wasn't white trees. It seemed like empty space. I ran too it. I was excited to leave this terrible forest. At the edge the forest I crouched and looked at the new place I remembered but became lost to. It was an abandon town.

I wasn't clear what a town is. The old man told me that there's more of it behind the borders. But the large buildings and small one alike were isolated. At least they appeared isolated. I knew in the depth of the town were creatures that were much like the one of the forest that just adapted to the buildings. I took a very long look at the view I had. The buildings were scattered and the large ones seemed to stay close to each other. But I could not see a very safe place to be. I had to go into the town and find one. I needed shelter fast. Midnight was the most dangerous time of the day.

I ran to the side of the fence. I was quick to not be spotted by a star catcher. I pressed my body to the side of the fence and climbed the fence when I saw no star catchers in the air. I was at the back of some broken building stayed crouch looking both directions. It was empty and the wall had a pattern of rectangles that I didn't recognize. It was also eroded with cracks. I walked to my right and realized my footsteps were louder than I thought. The sound echoed through the tall walls. I had to get out of this area. A place where there is only one way is a place where predators with speed learn to hunt. I ran to the side, but paced on my tiptoes so my steps weren't audible. I reached to another pathway to my left and went through there to see an opening. The opening was an open road that was black with several dots and cracks and if I looked closer, there were white broken lines in the middle. There were buildings with symbols on it that I didn't understand. They were mostly eroded with the fabric of the wall peeling off. There was grey dust on the white hard floor with cracks that appeared intentional because of the equal spacing. There were plants growing everywhere. I preparing to walk out into the open road, but then jumped back from my hiding spot behind the side of the wall. I held my breath as a creature emerged from my view. It walked on two legs and had distinct hands that stretched out as far as its terrifying head that had no eyes and only horns that arched upwards and moved like fangs, closing when it bit. Between the two horns was an opening I guessed was its mouth that was small but with several teeth. I had my back against the wall and held my breath. The creature stopped at my opening and I was afraid for it to turn around. It held still for a moment and I froze in place. Then I turned its ugly head. It stared at my direction and I could see no eyes. But I knew it knew where I was when I turned its entire body at my direction. I back away slowly. If it wasn't hostile, running wouldn't be a good idea. But then it lowered its head and I knew it was coming. I ran back into the alley as I saw it lunge forward with incredible speed I ran back to the alley and glanced back. The horns were stuck on the walls. It pulled back on the wall and used its hand to push its horns back. But it seemed stuck. I looked at its leg and stared at it. Its body was covered in shells and spikes, but its leg was not. I didn't look too bad too eat. I was hungry. I could shoot it with my rifle or carve it with my knife. I didn't care what it was. I was really hungry. It looked ugly and I bet it tastes bad, but I really didn't care. I took out my rifle from my back and aimed at its head. I aimed at its mouth at first guessing that was a lethal hit. That's what I've learned from hunting. Shoot things in the head. I tip toed closer to make sure my blow will kill it. I saw its mouth contract and breathe heavily and its hand tries to pry its thick horns off the wall. The barrel was right at the opening of its mouth. I pulled the trigger and a loud thunderous sound echoed through the alleyway. I think it screamed. It made a loud yelping sound. I cocked the rods on my rifle and shot again. It still struggled. I shot again and again until I had to reload. It collapsed onto the floor, and I filled up my rifle with five bullets and was ready to shoot again. The monster laid on the floor silent and its leg twitching. I stared at the massive body and waited for it to stop completely. When it did, I went for my knife. It was a large one, the blade was as long as my elbow to my wrist. I walked to the monster's corpse and looked at its leg. I dug my knife in the middle of the thigh and began to carve it in an up and down fashion. I cut through the skin and began to carve into the muscle, the flesh, and the tendons. I worked around the bone and made a pool of blood at the leg with my hands and boots dirtied with red. I cut deep and worked hard against the hard part which I assumed was the tendons. I ripped it apart with the knife and began to tear off its thigh and leg. I chopped off excess skin that clung onto the thigh and finally separate the leg from the body. I looked around me. I completely forgot that I was not safe yet. I held it by the foot and carried it on my shoulder. It was heavy and dripped blood. I went down the empty road with my eyes peeled to the sky and corners.

I found a giant building. It wasn't made of trees like the several others I've seen. The wall was grey and solid. I circled it until I found an opening inside. I peeked inside of it and glanced back up. The sun was close to setting and the star catchers would be hunting then. I looked inside and it looked empty. I crawled into the small opening and looked around, ready to jump back out if I saw something. I held the leg tight and looked around. There were small walls lined up with each other in a pattern and appeared like several alleyways. I looked through each one with careful eyes. It was starting to get dark fast and the little sunlight that got through was disappearing which will leave me in pitch blackness. I had to beat nightfall. I looked through each alley and held the leg even tighter each time I entered a new one. I went to check another alley and saw some squares at the distance. I walked towards it to see what it was and saw that it was a box. It was rare to see some of these. I looked though them and saw nothing but another very small square. I reached out to it and saw that it flapped opened. It looked like several small sticks with red tips. I looked at the symbols inside of it and saw that it was fire. I recognize the tear shape orange and knew it was fire. The pictures must have been how to make fire with these materials. I studied it closely and figured that I take off one of the sticks and place it between the two squares that the flaps made and put it on the very bottom where there was a rusty side and pull it out fast. It seemed ridiculous to me. The fires I seen take a lot of work and art with a bow. Something this simple seemed unreal. I put a stick with a red tip on the bottom of the flap and held it tight. I knew a couple of things about fire and that it took force. I swiped out the stick and to my surprise, a small flame appeared at the tip of it. I couldn't help but to laugh a bit. Fire has never been so easy in my life. I don't have to eat my food raw this time. I looked through the box again and found another small one. I took the two squares of fire and put them in my bag. I went out of the alley again and looked through the rest of them. They were all empty. At the end, I saw a pathway that led upwards with narrow steps that ascended up. I walked on the metal stairs and went upwards. At the top was a wall with a wooden rectangle on it. It seemed so out of place so I pushed onto it and it wasn't a wall but just a piece of wood that led into a room. It wasn't large; it was small compare to the massive outside. There was a large block of wood at the corner and several white leaf like things on the floor with symbols that are like the ones on the buildings. It was small and being in this room with only two small opening that looked far down on the ground made me feel a bit safe. I place the leg on the floor. I went back outside and closes the wooden wall behind me.

I went back outside to look for wood to burn. The one inside was too smooth and did not catch fire easily. I went outside and gathered sticks and large chunks of wood. As I did, I looked at the distant east. The sun was starting to disappear and the sky was smeared with a light red that looked like blood. I circled around checking my surrounding again to be more cautious and looked back at the horizon. The sun was slowly disappearing and the sight made me feel calmer. The sun disappearing at the distance was a sight that I admired and the dark blue that settled in eased my mind. The clouds above streaked into spiraling lines that added to the sky. The dark white that shifted to grey with the sky was contrasting. I watched the sun merge with the mountains and I believe it was what was called beauty. But then I saw the mountains move. A peak at the distance lifted upward and I saw a giant silhouette form at the sun. A shadow appeared and I saw the colossus. At the sky above, I saw black wings soar above me that was closer than before and knew it wasn't safe outside anymore. I quickly grabbed all the wood I could get and ran back inside.

Inside I started a fire. The floor wasn't wood so I was okay. I covered the window with the leaf like things that hanged them onto the window with the rack on top of each opening. Taking a look outside, I saw creatures that I knew would eat me if the chance came. I saw pale, ugly figures and glowing eyes in the dark. After seeing that, I pushed the heavy wood to the opening wall to block it. I made the fire and stayed close to it. I held the hunk of meat over the fire, letting the skin burn off and toast the meat. I put more sticks and wood when the fire seemed slow. I hope the meat taste good this time. The creature I killed didn't look to appetizing, but I was starving. The warm fire felt good to my cold hands. The light fire felt good to me and when I would start eating I would be happy. But in the night, I heard terrible noises. I heard screeching of monsters trying to eat each other. I felt the building shake when something big came in. I shivered when I wasn't even cold. I heard screams echoed in the building. The ground shook below. I felt scared. No matter the warmth the fire gave me, I couldn't help but fear a bit for my life.


End file.
